Winter Wishes FINAL EXAMS JANUARY 24-26
Wrestlers take their show on the road
A Success
The Sentinel On Guard VOLUME 35, ISSUE 2
AN OPEN FORUM FOR STUDENT EXPRESSION SINCE 1982
JANUARY 2017
SPORTS
Boys’ Basketball searches for respect in new PCL BY TODD KEISTER tkeister@bethelsd.org
The local papers ignore their story. It’s okay, they’re used to it by now. They don’t have the history of Lincoln, or the senior leaders of Wilson, but the feelings are familiar to the lack of attention they received while playing in the South Puget Sound League South Division. Last season, teams like Emerald Ridge and Curtis grabbed most of the local ink. In their eyes it is almost better this way. Quietly, the Spanaway Lake Sentinel Boy’s Basketball team is building something special. Coming off of a dominant, twoand-a-half week home stretch where the Sentinels outscored their opponents by 114 points in their last four games, the team prepares to set their sights on a chance to own the top spot in the Pierce County League with a matchup at fourthranked Lincoln on January 4th. State officials have yet to include Spanaway Lake in their 3A top ten this season, even though the Sentinels are averaging 72 points per game, the fourth highest in the classification. Their two losses this season came from Metro League powerhouses Garfield and West Seattle. Local papers may lean towards the two Tacoma schools because of the personalities involved. Coaches Dave Alwert (Wilson) and Aubrey Shelton (Lincoln) both have storied coaching careers, with multiple state appearances under their belts; their teams are always loaded with stars. After taking in a game at “The Lake,” critics may see that the Sentinels’ stars are just as bright. Spanaway Lake has its own version of the Greek mythical creature, Cerberus. Cerberus was a three-headed beast that guarded the gates of Hades and prevented people from leaving. In Dante Alighieri’s epic poem “Inferno,” Cerberus guarded the third level of Hell, where it tore, flayed and quartered spirits attempting to leave. Watching the Sentinels on defense, one can see how this analogy rings true. Junior Isaiah Turner is coming off of a season where he averaged 13 points a game and was selected to the SPSL’s first team. A starter since his freshman year,
FOUR-HEADED MONSTER: (Top left: Junior Ja’Ontay Foster pulls up for a three-pointer that put the Sentinels ahead early in the first quarter. Top right: Junior Divante Moffitt finishes off his steal with a dunk against Stadium. Bottom left: Junior Isaiah Turner drives around his Stadium opponent and throws down a dunk. Bottom right: Junior Jordan Garner stares down his Stadium opponent on defense.
Turner has been one of the team’s go-to guys on offense. Although his offensive production is down by a point and a half this season, Turner has significantly improved other parts of his game. Picking up an inch and an extra twenty pounds of muscle in the offseason has led to Turner doubling his rebounding numbers and making him a force on both the outside and the inside on offense. Jordan Garner worries opposing coaches. The long, lanky, lefthanded junior with a bit of a swagger creates a mismatch on offense and has shared the offensive touches much more this season. Garner’s scoring numbers are up to eleven points a game, three more than the eight he averaged last season. He continues to be a player that opposing teams struggle to contain. He can beat his man by driving the lane or shooting from the outside and has become stealthy enough to wiggle his way in and grab offensive rebounds over opposing players. Junior Divante Moffitt, is the heart of this team. He’s flashy, he’s smart and his smile lights up the room. Moffitt gives the impression that regardless of the situation, his job on the court is to have fun. Already this season, Moffitt has nearly doubled his scoring
production. He put up a careerhigh 31 points in the Sentinels 10152 victory over Graham-Kapowsin, and scored 20 points against a physical Stadium club. In the Sentinel’s recent victory over Yelm, Moffitt showed off his improved talents with three monster dunks in the first quarter. History shows that Cerberus only had three heads. Spanaway Lake’s Cerebus, however, grew another in the offseason. Junior Ja’Ontay Foster, nicknamed “Hollywood,” could be the final piece to the puzzle that the Sentinels have been putting together for three years. Foster, a transfer from Wilson, has been the spark the team has been looking for. His 26 three-pointers through the first nine games are currently best on MaxPrep’s list of 3A Washington State players. He is on pace to hit over 70, which would be twenty more than any Sentinel had last season. More than anything, “Hollywood” has made his mark on the defensive side of the ball. His speed, quickness and tenacity leave opposing guards frustrated and has increased steal opportunities for his teammates The glue to the team, though, is coach Dominic Batten. Batten, a 2000 graduate of Spanaway Lake,
is in his fourth season as head coach. His assistants describe him as having an “old soul,” due to his even-keeled coaching style. Batten would rather his players be calm and prepared than hyped and brash, which can be difficult for teenage boys. He preaches defense first and gauges the team’s success on the way they defended their basket. Leaving the SPSL and the 4A classification this past fall was disappointing for the basketball program. They knew they were capable of competing with the league as they placed third in 2015, fourth in 2016 and went deep in the district tournament both seasons. In joining the Pierce County League, the expectations have not changed. They know that a playoff berth and the league title are within their grasp and a victory over Lincoln on January 4 will be the first, large step in the right direction.
Spanaway takes on Lincoln tonight. C-Team starts at 3:30, JV starts at 5:30 and the Varsity starts at 7pm.